


A New Equilibrium

by Alethia



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Angry Sex, Established Relationship, F/M, Missions Gone Wrong, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-19 13:27:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18136349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alethia/pseuds/Alethia
Summary: Michael licked her lips. "If that was supposed to be some kind of punishment, I think you need to reconsider what you think of as a deterrent."





	A New Equilibrium

**Author's Note:**

> This comes from the worried way Pike said, "Michael" in 2.09. Which led to porn. Because sure, why not. Also posted [here](https://alethia.dreamwidth.org/1022117.html).

"Burnham, get out of there," Chris said over her comms, tinny and small, but still comforting. 

Part of her was grateful for it, though most of her focus was on the anchor line in her hands. Or, more accurately, her gloves, the EVA suit killing most of her dexterity, but at least weightlessness meant she could actually lift the impossibly heavy metal cable. 

Michael made a point _not_ to look out to open space—or the temporal anomaly expanding so ominously close—focused instead on the array beneath her grav boots, the line in her hand, how to _fix this_. 

There was a way to use the anchor line to tether the array to the nearby asteroid, she _knew_ it, if she could just work out—

"Burnham, how copy?" Chris' voice was more insistent now, the connection relaying his concern loud and clear. 

"If I can tether the array to the asteroid, the combined mass will keep it from getting sucked in," Michael insisted, aware she wasn't answering his question or following his order. He wouldn't miss that either, but she had to try. 

"It's too late. We can't risk losing you, too. Get back to the shuttle."

It wasn't too late. Michael _knew_ it. 

"I'm gonna try something," she said, disengaging her grav boots, pushing off the array and hurtling herself toward the asteroid, anchor line in hand. 

" _Michael_!" Chris snapped, concern replaced by something sharper, harder. 

And as Michael plunged the spear-like edge of the anchor into the asteroid's side, glanced off it, and scraped her way down, scrambling to find purchase, she knew...she would be hearing about this. 

***

Michael waited as the shuttle's ramp extended, her arms burning from the ache...but the satisfaction burned brighter. She was _right_ , it had worked, and now they had the array's data on the red angel to comb through for clues. 

That satisfaction lasted right up until she caught sight of Chris' expression. He stood waiting for her at the base of the ramp, outwardly calm, but the tightness around his eyes told her all she needed to know. A single, disapproving head-tilt cinched it. 

So this would be fun. 

Michael kept her chin up as she walked off the shuttle, stopping before him, waiting for his judgment. The hangar bay's crew was busy fulfilling its duties, but she could see crewmen glancing over, the sight of the captain always capturing attention. Especially _this_ captain, universally respected, if not outright adored. Michael felt all of that and more, her affections deepening with every day they spent together. Disappointing him...did not sit well. 

But her plan had _worked_. 

"I told you to abort," Chris said evenly, holding her gaze. Michael could see worry and anger and relief in his eyes, but knew it would be shuttered to everyone who didn't know him well. 

Michael knew him well. 

"With respect, sir, there were facts on the ground you didn't have. I made a judgment call."

"With respect," he parroted slowly, a mocking lilt to it. Michael blinked, surprised; she'd expected him to be upset. _Livid_ was something else. 

Chris caught himself and went stony almost instantly, back to the responsible captain dealing with an unruly underling. "You were cavalier with your life today. You put yourself and this shuttle at risk."

"I saved the array," Michael protested. 

"You got lucky."

"And _saved the array_ ," she shot back. 

"I know you think your success trumps everything, but skirting my orders is a no-go, Commander. You're relieved for the day."

Michael opened her mouth to protest—

Chris' eyes narrowed, almost imperceptibly, but she knew that look. That look led to nothing good for whoever was on the receiving end of it. 

Michael closed her mouth and nodded, tight. "Roger that, Captain."

Head still held high, Michael walked past him, toward the hangar bay doors, spine straight. Clearly, he just needed time to process today's events. Then he'd understand the value of her plan. 

It was only logical.

***

Michael walked into Chris' quarters, half-surprised he hadn't revoked her access. Perhaps she'd been right and the usual rhythms of the workday—the crew combing through the array's data—had helped ease his mind... 

Seeing his head _snap_ up from where he sat behind his desk, reviewing reports, made her revise that theory. 

Michael met his angry gaze straight on. "First you relieve me and then you refuse me access to the array's data? Really?" she asked, indignant. 

Chris tossed his PADD aside, barely missing the near-empty glass of something amber, and stalked toward her, anger lacing his movements. "Really," he confirmed, dark, before pulling her to him and _taking_ her mouth in a hard, biting kiss. 

Michael startled, hands automatically going to his chest, gripping his shirt as she kissed him back. She reeled at his aggressiveness, his tongue thrusting into her mouth, his hands gripping her body tight. Energy vibrated through him, nothing she'd felt before.

She...didn't know what to do with this. He was generally so even-keeled, so reasonable...

Michael pulled back, panting a little. "Look, no matter _how_ I got the data—"

Chris growled, leaning down for her mouth again. "Let's not talk."

His hand tilted her face up, teeth tugging at her bottom lip before covering her mouth with his own, forceful, all-consuming. He tasted like whisky and anger, both familiar and not. 

Ever since they'd started this thing between them—this thing that burned hot and bright and Michael couldn't name—Chris had been the model lover: attentive and generous and _gloriously_ thorough. He let her set the pace. He took his cues from her. 

All that was gone now. 

Now, Chris crushed her to him, for once using his size and strength to hold her in place as he _ravaged_ her mouth. 

Michael could only hang on as he kissed her breathless, then scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom. 

Something in her _thrilled_ at it. She knew she shouldn't—it was old-fashioned, illogical—but she couldn't help the _want_ that swept through her at his manhandling, pushing her back onto the bed, putting her right where he wanted her. 

Chris shrugged off his shirt as he climbed in after her, grabbing her thighs and hauling her against him. She could feel him hard through his uniform pants and she bucked, trying to get more. He leaned over and found her mouth again, hands shoving her shirt up past her bra, then moving to the clasp of her pants. 

As they kissed, Michael marveled at his haste, the carelessness where normally he was so exacting. Her own body's response was just as surprising. His fervor lit her up, sending her heart racing, heat pooling between her legs. It would be embarrassing if she weren't too turned on to really think about it. 

She tried to help, yanking her shirt up and off, breaking their kiss. Chris stared into her eyes as he got her pants open, slipping a hand between her legs to find her slick and wanting. Satisfaction flashed over his face as he pressed two fingers inside her, none of his usual teasing. They slid in easily, no resistance.

His touch was familiar by now, sure, but it still never failed to send her mind spinning. "Please," she gasped, tightening around his fingers. 

Instantly, Chris took his hand away. He stepped back, making Michael protest: "What are you—" But then she saw that he was just pulling at her boot, tossing aside one, then the other. Something about the casual way he did it made her quiver, the sense of surety surrounding him, like this was his domain and he was in control. Being half-naked, lips bruised, only heightened the effect.

Chris smirked at her protest. "I should leave you like this. Aching for me," he said, his voice rasping across her skin like silk. "But then, I know you'd just take care of it yourself."

Unbidden, her mind went to the last time she'd touched herself like that, his hot eyes _watching_ her, rumbling dark encouragement into her ear— _just like that, yeah, come on, come for me, Michael_. 

Michael flushed at the memory. Chris clocked it, his smirk deepening as he grabbed the waistband of her pants and roughly tugged, pulling them down and off. He then went to work on his own pants while Michael scrambled up the bed and shimmied out of her underwear, wanting him inside her _right now_. 

Naked and hard, Chris crawled over to her, taking hold of one thigh and pushing it wide. Michael gripped his biceps as he pressed his cock against her slick heat and slid home, no preamble. 

A high sound caught in her throat, but Chris didn't wait for her to adjust, just set about driving into her over and over again, so forceful the bed thumped against the wall. Michael keened as pleasure swamped her, legs wrapping around him as he mouthed her chin, her neck, any skin he could reach. 

But then Chris shifted back, kneeling up and _pulling_ her onto his cock, somehow thrusting even deeper. Michael cried out, arching, grabbing for the headboard and just hanging on as he drove into her, what felt like every nerve ending in her body crying out a desperate _yes_. She fluttered and clenched around him, that gorgeous pressure building inside her—

And then Chris _stopped_ , pulling out and lowering her to the bed. Michael reeled, chest heaving, sweat dotting her skin. "What—" she gasped, not understanding.

Chris' eyes were dark the way they got when he was hopelessly turned on, but his smile said he knew exactly what he'd done. "Turn over," he said, voice sounding used. 

It shivered through her, Michael's whole body reacting just to the sound of him. She moaned and rolled onto her stomach, barely getting her hands and knees under her before he was behind her, pushing into her again, one hand on her hip, the other on the back of her neck. The first thrust almost sent her into the headboard, but she caught herself just in time, crying out at the sudden burst of pleasure when he nailed her g-spot...and then proceeded to hit it like a target over and over again. 

Impossibly, Michael felt herself get wetter, rolling waves of electricity singing through her as Chris focused all his energy on pounding into her and making her _feel_ it.

Michael trembled and gasped, out of control of her body, too much stimulation to process. Her arms buckled and she collapsed, the sheets feeling cool against her overheated face.

Chris followed her down, but didn't stop, blanketing her back, licking up her spine to suck on her earlobe, his cock still hitting that spot inside her every time. He pulled her hips up a little higher, Michael crying out again, the change in angle somehow dialing it up even more, white spots flaring in her vision, body strung tight—

And then Chris pulled out _again_. Michael sucked in a gasp that sounded suspiciously like a sob, muffled by the mattress underneath her. 

So close, she was _so close_ and he—

Chris turned her himself this time, hauling her up to sit astride him, arms wrapped around her, holding her against his chest as he guided her down onto his cock. Michael moaned as he set up a new rhythm, fucking her deep, her body still boneless and overwhelmed. 

Random sensations slammed into her—she could feel his chest hair against her breasts, his heart beating against hers, she could _smell_ them, mingled sweat and sex thick in the air. Her body tightened around him each time he pulled her up and dropped her back down, feeling so _full_. She made a high, helpless noise as white heat spread inside her, every muscle shaking. 

Michael gripped his back, nails digging in, her orgasm in reach again. " _Please please please_ ," she whispered into his neck, everything going tense and bright, just on the edge—

Even as he kept lifting and lowering her onto him, Chris pulled one arm away, reaching between them, running delicate, teasing fingers over her clit, the perfect counterpoint to the forcefulness of his thrusts. And like _that_ , her body clamped down tight, a shudder of white-hot fire sweeping through her. Michael clutched at him harder, biting his shoulder—

And Chris groaned, long and low, his hips stuttering as he came inside her with desperate, shaking pulses. A few breaths and he finally stilled, arms wrapped around her again, but no longer moving, just holding her. Slumped against his chest, aftershocks sparking through her, Michael could feel something fragile and trembling within him, but her mind was too scattered to follow the thought. 

A beat and they tipped to the side, Chris slipping out of her as they collapsed, covered in sweat, shaking and spent. 

Michael panted, trying to regain her breath, trying to understand what that was. She turned her head to watch him, lit up in profile, his skin faintly glowing. She took in his elegant lines, all coiled strength, authoritative even naked and sprawled back as he was. He swallowed, something halting in it, and Michael got the sense that she'd just glimpsed a new side of him, one not many got to see. 

He sensed her scrutiny and looked over, studying her right back, seeming more settled now, like the sex burned some of the anger away. 

Michael licked her lips. "If that was supposed to be some kind of punishment, I think you need to reconsider what you think of as a deterrent."

A touch of a frown appeared. "If I promise to fuck you into the mattress on a regular basis, will you stop taking unnecessary risks?"

"It wasn't unnecessary; it was calculated," she said, soft. 

Chris shook his head. "I'm not a controlling person by nature, I'm really not, but I do get a say when it comes to these things."

"But you trust me," she pointed out. 

Chris softened, nodding at that, so well-understood it wasn't worth discussing. He rolled toward Michael, reaching out and cupping her cheek, something conflicted in his eyes. "It's harder when it's you out there. I know it shouldn't be, but it is."

Michael tilted her head, then covered his hand with her own, nodding. Understanding now. He wasn't mad; he was _afraid_. "It was probably inevitable that we'd get here, given...this."

"Ah, yes, _this_ ," he said, a touch of a smile to it, one she echoed. 

She shook her head, at herself mostly. "I probably push a little too far because I know you'll have my back."

"Always," he said instantly, unshakable. "But I would like it back in one piece."

Michael nodded and moved in close, settling against his chest. "I'll be more careful."

"I'll be more aware of when I'm being overprotective."

Michael tipped her head up at him, smiling a little. "Deal."

Chris smiled back, then leaned down to kiss her, soft again, like normal. Michael smiled against his mouth, then pulled away. "But I am going to need you to stop hiding the crazy sex god because that's just not right."

Chris huffed a laugh, then rolled her onto her back, mouth descending on hers. "Deal."

***

Fin. Feedback is adored.


End file.
